Arab News Japan

TOKYO: An earthquake with a seismic intensity of 6-minus on Japan’s earthquake intensity scale (8 on a 10-point scale) occurred in Suzu City on the northern coast of Japan on June 19 and this has been followed by a series of aftershocks.

This has prompted schools in the area to re-evaluate their earthquake protection measures to keep their pupils safe.

Iida Elementary School and Shoin Elementary School both suffered in the earthquake but the children remained calm, according to Hokuriku Broadcasting.

Councilor Shinichiro Tassa, the Suzu City Board of Education Secretary, said: “I heard that the children took refuge according to the manuals of each school, hiding under the desk to protect themselves. I received a report that they were able to evacuate smoothly because they had received evacuation training.”

Shoin Elementary School conducts evacuation drills to make their pupils and staff aware of what they must do in the event of an earthquake.

“At Shoin Elementary School, where the sea is right next to the school, they need to be wary of tsunamis that come after the earthquake,” Tassa said. The students evacuate to a hill behind the school called Tonoyama, an official tsunami evacuation site.

“Evacuation methods differ depending on the school, so we set evacuation routes according to the terrain around the school,” Tassa added.

The Suzu City Board of Education says it’s important to update manuals and check evacuation procedures as some evacuation procedures were proven to be tragically inadequate during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Many people lost their lives after evacuating to what they thought was a safe area.

Since that time, tsunami and earthquake preventative measures have been put in place and emphasis has been placed on educating citizens about earthquake safety measures.